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Hiking the Israel National Trail
offered by supplier M14329 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 5
- 42
day(s)
Group Size: 2
- 30
people
Destination(s):
Israel
Specialty Categories:
Hiking & Trekking
Season: April - May
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: 1500 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 9500 US Dollar (USD)
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The Israel National Trail is a 960 KM (580 Mi) hiking trail that crisscrosses the entire country from the north at Dan to the south at the Red Sea, passing through amazing geological contrasting areas, from lush forests to lonely desert canyons. It crisscrosses incredible historical, archeological and biblical paths. Very few people other than Israelis have ever completed even small portions of the Israel National Trail yet alone the entire trail. In this 6-week tour you will have an opportunity to do a large portion of the trail. You can choose to do as much as the entire 6-week tour or as little as 1 week.
The trail begins each week on Sunday and ends late on Thursday afternoon, at which time you can choose to be transported to hotel accommodations with other members of the group from Thursday night until Sun. morning or make your own arrangements and meet the group at an appointed place on Sunday morning. The tour will be full board and the group will sleep in tents and sleeping bags that will be brought to our campsite each night along with a delicious hot meal, campfire and provisions for that night and the next hiking day. Hikers will therefore only be required to carry a light back pack with each day’s water requirement, lunch, etc. We’ll have an amazing Israeli tour guide accompanying us who will make the journey rich with interesting stories and information about the trails we walk.
Tour Itinerary:
Week 1: April 11-15 (Optional weekend April 15-17). Our first week on the Israel National Trail begins in the Hula Valley, an agricultural settlement with an abundance of water, and ends in the city of Tiberias, one of the four holy cities in Israel where we walu through the Upper Galilee valleys and mountains such as Mt. Meron, the second highest mountain in Israel. In contrast, we end in the world’s lowest place, the Sea of Galilee. Parts of this hike crisscross the Jesus Trail. Total Miles covered: 42 Miles.
Day 1, Sun. April 11: We start at Nebi Yusha British police station to Nahal Dishon (Spring of Dishon), one of the most beautiful canyons in Israel. The British police station once controlled the road that leads us to the Hula Valley. We will learn about the very difficult and brave battle fought here during the War of Independence.
Day 2, Mon. April 12: From Nahal Dishon, we walk through natural springs and agricultural fields. We finish the day with a very invigorating and breathtaking hike climbing the second highest mountain in Israel, Mt. Meron.
Day 3, Tues. April 13: Leaving Nahal Meron, we make our way to Nahal Amud, a lovely stream that passes through the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, the author of the book of Zohar (main book of the Kabala). Nahal Amud is joined by beautiful springs and along this gorgeous path we pass underneath the mystical city of Safed. Rabbi, Itzhak Luria of Safed, who was the first to adhere to a ‘practical’ Kabala, would wander along these beautiful springs.
Day 4, Wed. April 14: We begin our incredible hike from Nahal Amud to Wadi Hamam. Our hike starts at lower Nahal Amud (the Pillar Spring), and we will visually come to understand how this spring got its name. We arrive at Wadi Hamam (Valley of the Doves), another beautiful stream where we will have an opportunity to enjoy a lovely swim.
Day 5, Thurs. April 15: Today we make our way from Wadi Hamam) through Mt. Arbel and finally reaching the city of Tiberius. This is an exciting hike, which includes climbing up Mt. Arbel, where we will learn of the Jewish Zealots who hid here during the Great Revolt and where we will see the fortress where they hid.
Optional Weekend: Hotel on the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias.
Week 2 April 18-22 (Optional Weekend April 22-24). Week two will take us from the lower Galilee beginning at the Sea of Galilee to the bottom of Mt. Carmel. We’ll cross through amazing lands of the Old and New Testament, such as Mt. Tabor, the home of the prophetess Deborah and Nazareth, Jesus’ childhood home. Total Miles covered: 45 Miles.
Day 1, Sun. April 18: Our hike takes us from the city of Tiberius to the Jordan River. This is an area where many famous Israeli poets spent their lives such as Naomi Shemer, who wrote the famous song, “Jerusalem of Gold,” and Rachel, born in Russia in 1890 and whose Hebrew poetry has been set to many songs. We pass through the Jordan River and the baptismal site of Yardenit, found at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee.
Day 2, Mon. April 19: Our gorgeous hike takes us from the Jordan River to the incredibly beautiful Yavniel Steram to Mt. Yavniel.
Day 3, Tues. April 20: We hike from Mt. Yavniel to Rehash to Mt. Tabor, and the old village of Deborah. Mt. Tabor, is found above the Jezreel Valley, a large fertile plain and inland valley in the south of the Lower Galilee region of Israel and is the site of the biblical battle of Deborah and Barak versus Sisera. It is also believed to be the place where Jesus underwent his transfiguration.
Day 4, Wed. April 21: We climb from Mt. Deborah to Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus.
Day 5, Thurs. April 22: The Israel National Trail now encounters the Jesus Trail. We walk the very paths that Jesus most likely walked as a young man and where other important rabbis of the Talmudic period(record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. and Mishna period, the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah" and the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism also traveled. We reach Sephora, a Roman city where Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi completed and signed the six books of the Mishna.
Optional Weekend: Hotel in Tel Aviv by the Mediterranean Sea.
Week 3 April 25-29 (Optional Weekend April 29-May 1). This week we cover the Judean Hills to the Jerusalem Mountains, walking in the footsteps of the kings and prophets such as King Saul, and King David. We’ll stand on the place of the battle between David and Goliath, and learn of David’s infatuation with Delilah, the Philistine. Miles covered: 46 Miles.
Day 1, Sun. April 25: We begin our walk in a beautiful place, Bet Meir, located in the Jerusalem hills around nine miles from Jerusalem, and end the day in the biblical agricultural gardens of Sataf. We will walk through beautiful terraces, going back 3000 years and that can still be viewed today.
Day 2, Mon. April 26: We trek from Sataf to Mata. Descending the Jerusalem Mountains we make our way to the Judean Hills, walking through the land of the springs. Along the way we’ll see the first railway in Israel that traveled from the ancient port of Jaffa to Jerusalem.
Day 3, Tues. April 27: From Mata we hike to Ha’Ele Valley, where the fight between David and Goliath took place. We are crossing the biblical border between the kingdom of Judea and the Philistines in which many important events took place.
Day 4, Wed. April 28: From Ha’Ele Valley we walk to the magical land of the caves where the Bar Kohva rebellion took place in Bet Guvrin. This is one of the most unique areas in the world, where an enormous labyrinth system of over 200 caves is found. We will have the chance to do a “cave crawl” through one of the many caves.
Day 5, Thurs. April 29: We next move on from Bet Guvrin to Tel Lachish, the city of Gat, was one of the five Philistine city-states, established in northwestern Philistia. Here we’ll visit the famous bell caves and the ancient ruins in the village of Morasha. We continue through an ancient Roman road to the biblical city of Gat.
Optional Weekend: Hotel In Dead Sea Region.
Week 4 May 2-6 (Optional Weekend May 6-8). While not considered a part of the Israel Trail, this week’s trail takes us on an amazing adventure not to be missed. We begin our trek walking from the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, and climbing up from the Judean Desert to the land of the Mahteshim in the Negev Desert. A Mahtesh is an incredible geographical phenomen that exists only in Israel, similar in appearance to a crater but having been formed in a completely different fashion. Miles Covered: 50 Miles.
Day 1, Sun. May 2: From the Ein Bokek Spring we trek to Mt. Sdom, a mountain that is made completely of salt and on to the Prazim Valley. On our way we’ll view the pillar of salt that is called Lot’s wife and hear the story. We’ll end the day at the Prazim Valley, which is also called the flour valley because of its beautiful white color and texture.
Day 2, Mon. May 3: From the Ashalim Canyon we’ll trek to the top of the Peres Valley. This is a wonderful canyon in the Judean and Negev Desert. Here we’ll have an opportunity to do ‘canyoning” between the boulders.
Day 3, Tues. May 4: Walking from Mt. Tzvaim through a portion of the Nabatian spice route, we’ll reach Chan Tamar, a Nabatean patrol station. We’ll finally reach the magnificent small Mahtesh.
Day 4, Wed. May 5: We’ll begin our climb out of the small Mahtesh and descend the boulders of Nahal Akravim, an amazing and challenging hike.
Day 5, Thurs. May 6: Our hike takes us through the ancient Roman stairs all the way through Nahal Gov and Nahal Hatira to the the gate of the incredible big Mahtesh. We will walk through one of the less traveled areas in Israel. As such, it is a virgin area, well preserved with a gorgeous array of wildflowers.
Optional Weekend: Negev Desert Tent
Week of May 9-13 (Optional Weekend May 13-15). We return to the Israel Trail this week and begin in the Zin Valley near Kibbutz Sde Boker where we join the ancient Nabatian spice road. This route takes us through the Ramon Mahtesh, the largest Mahtesh in the world and ends in the Aravah Valley; only a 15 hours walk from Petra, Jordan, the capital of the Nabateans. Miles Covered: 53 Miles.
Day 1, Sun. May 9: We travel from Nahal Tzin to Mt. Hod Akev. Beginning in the Zin Valley, the largest valley in the desert and climbing up to Hod Akev, we’ll have incredible 360-degree views of the desert. We’ll take a plunge in the refreshing cool waters of Akev Spring. Along the way, we’ll have opportunities to seen the beautiful ibex in their natural habitat by the cliffs surrounding the spring.
Day 2, Mon. May 10: We venture from Ein Akev to Nahal Hava Canyon and Ein Hava Spring, passing along the way several khans and springs. This is a very challenging hike and one where we will be walking through incredibly beautiful and untouched wilderness that few hikers ever reach.
Day 3, Tues. May 11: Starting at Nahal Hava Nature Reserve, a place rich in wild life, we trek to khan Mahamal, along the ancient Nabatean spice route where we can observe the beauty of the Mahtesh up close. We arrive at our destination, a Bedouin tent in the Mahtesh.
Day 4, Wed. May 12: We make a climb out of the Mahtesh along the Dinosaur Mountain into the land of Bereshit and arriving at Nahal Nekarot.
Day 5, Thurs. May 13: We trek from Nahal Nekarot, about 60 kilometers long, flowing through the Arif mountain range and the northern Arava and one of the longest and most beautiful rivers in the Negev to the Aravah Valley where we have spectacular views of the desert’s landscapes.
Optional Weekend: Eilat or Jerusalem
Week 6 May 16-20 (Optional Weekend May 20-22). We spend our last week on the Israel National Trail on an amazing trek beginning in Shaharut and ending in Eilat near the Taba border with Egypt. Our hike takes us through a geological wonderland stepping back hundreds of millions of years, then finally ending in a beautiful place overlooking the Red Sea.
Day 1, Sun. May 16: From Shaharut we walk to Wadi Milhan and the Milhan Well, where we can look onto the Aravah valley. Here we view the many gorgeous colors of the different rocks we pass along the way. The southern border is an area rich in bronze and where the first bronze mines can be found.
Day 2, Mon. May 17: We walk from Wadk Milhan to Timna Park, noted for its natural sandstone formations, including King Solomon's Pillars, the "Mushroom", "Arches" and "the Sleeping Lion". It includes what are believed to be the oldest Copper mines in the world, dating back to at least 4000 BC and worked almost continuously by (among others) the Egyptians, Romans, and Nabateans.
Day 3, Tues, May 18: From Timna Park we hike through gorgeous sandstone mountains to Amram Pillar. Later we make our way though a place which is half of the Timan Mahtesh and half in Jordan, where we begin to understand the meaning of the African-Syrian Rift.
Day 4, Wed. May 19: From the Amran Pillars to continue on to Mt. Yoash, through the only spring in the Eilat Mountains, Natafim Springs. Along the way we enjoy walking through hidden canyons.
Day 5, Thurs. May 20: Our final day on the Israel National Trail is an amazing hike from Mt. Yoash to Eilat walking on the border of Egypts in the Gishron Valley. We arrive at the Red Sea where we can celebrate our time together and snorkel in the coral laden waters there.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Cost of tour depends on number of participants, number of days of participation, required hotel accommodation.
Price Includes:
- Full board Sun. dinner through Thursday lunch
- Israeli guide
- Transportation to and from trail
- Use of tents and sleeping bags.
Also see tour packages in:
Middle East
Israel
Outdoor: Land Rambler
Hiking & Trekking
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, ext: 14329
